SERVICE IDENTITY

WORDS Kim Newth PHOTOS Ashleigh Robertson

Thinking big for the future, even as Omicron cases rise, is Christchurch bar owner Nick Inkster whose passion for the central city and its heritage buildings first earned him a spot on the cover of Avenues in August 2017.

By this spring, one of the city’s oldest surviving church buildings is due to be up and running as a hospitality venue, equipped with live music and big-screen sports entertainment. The former Trinity Congregational Church, dating back to the 1870s, is next to Inkster Company’s other recent addition on Manchester Street, Paddy McNaughton’s Irish Pub in the restored Shand’s Emporium building.

I remember talking to the Trinity’s former owners not long after its stone tower had come crashing down in the February 2011 earthquake (a city waits, Avenues, Issue 82). There were so many uncertainties back then around its future. Thankfully the Christchurch Heritage Trust came to the rescue, purchasing the building in 2013 for strengthening and restoration. Eleven years later, amid a pandemic, this slice of heritage is in great shape and preparing to open once again.

Nick’s passion is to breathe new life into old stone and timber with top-notch hospitality ventures. The former Christchurch builder came home after the earthquakes, pouring money made in Australia’s oil and gas industry into the dream of a vintage-style central city bar. He set up O.G.B. in one of the few old buildings still standing. It has been an outstanding success, repeatedly selected by our readers as the city’s top bar. A glamorous cocktail bar was added in 2018 (Parlour), and O.G.B.’s Courtyard is a popular go-to for casual drinks and dining.

The growing Inkster stable, which includes the exclusive cavern-style Austin Club and Lyttelton’s Civil & Naval, has an emphasis on table service and smaller-scale venues that take less than 100 people. It is a model that has worked well through the pandemic. With the Trinity Congregational Church, he’s taking a punt that better times are coming and leapfrogging to a much bigger space that can hold 500 people inside and many more in a spacious courtyard out front.

“Our goal is to open seven days for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It looks amazing inside with its timber ceiling and stone wall heritage features. The church was designed acoustically – we’re looking forward to offering this as a beautiful live music venue for both local musicians and bigger names. We lost so much in the earthquakes. Opening something like this is not just about selling a few drinks. It’s about giving people an opportunity to come in and appreciate a stunning old building and share their memories as well.”

Before he passed away, Nick’s late father advised him never to give up on his hospitality ambitions, and Nick has stayed the course through eight challenging years since then. With positive encouragement from his now business partners, Andrew and Richard Norton, he is well-placed to meet future growth goals. He has a single-minded determination to keep going – and growing.

“I’m still really excited for Christchurch. The cathedral is being rebuilt in the heart of the city. Apartments are going up on Manchester Street, and we’ve already got people coming into Paddy McNaughton’s saying it’s their closest local pub. The central city is the best ‘suburb’ of all because it has the best amenities.”

Commenting on Avenues’ 200th edition, Nick says it’s an amazing achievement. “I’ve always appreciated what Avenues has done for this city.”